The Kirpan is a ceremonial sword, and a symbol of the Sikh faith worn by observers.

Manjot Singh, 29, carried the Sikh sword when he and his wife went to a movie at AMC's Bay 16 theater in Emeryville in June.

While waiting to buy a refreshment, he said he found himself surrounded by security guards.

“The manager comes up to me and says, ‘Excuse me sir, I understand you have a weapon.’ And I said, ‘I am not carrying any weapons. I have a religious symbol,’” Singh said.

He and his wife, who also wore a Kirpan, were asked to give them up, or leave the theater.

“Our articles of faith are like body parts to us,” Singh said. “We sleep with them, we shower with them and we die with them.”

When the couple arrived home, the Singhs snapped a photo of what Manjot Singh wore to the movies.

He maintains the Kirpan was not visible.

"As a Sihk American, I stand out, and I believe they picked me out of a line due to that," Singh said.

AMC theaters have a "no weapons" policy.

The company issued a statement in response: "The person in question was approached when our security team noticed the guest was wearing an approximately 5-1/2 inch unsheathed knife, in clear violation of our rules. We stand by our policy, as this matter is about the weapon alone and not at all about religious freedoms."